The end game, the time right before a project finishes, can be difficult. Keep things manageable by focusing the team: turn off  e-mail and voice-mail. Beyond huddles, cancel all non-essential meetings. It also helps to keep the work in a known state. With multiple people making changes to a project, ensure that the details are pulling together.  In software development, this means building the entire application daily. 

It's tempting to strive for total perfection as the project is nearing completion, but stop and ask, "does this problem need to be fixed?" In software, sometimes with small problems the mere act of fixing the bug introduces more bugs! Avoid this by distinguishing the small problems that can be fixed at a later time from those that are truly critical.  

It goes without saying (but here I go), that the end of the project is not the time to solicit and add more to the project. This is the time to nail the requirements and "get 'er done!" If a project deliverable date must be changed, however, don't exchange one bad date for another. Instead, get the team involved in setting a new date that is realistic and then hit it. . . no matter what. 

Tom's Takeaway: Project end games can be smooth if the team focuses, makes strategic decisions about critical fixes and focuses on meeting the deadline. Be sure to celebrate when the project is delivered too...whether a formal dinner or a beer out with the team, it makes a difference and will be remembered the next time you're in "crunch mode."